Shraddha Walkar murder: Blood samples between tiles, site plan found
What's the story
In a major development in the Delhi-man-kills-live-in-partner-chops-body-to-dispose/story">Shraddha Walkar murder case, the forensic team has reportedly found blood samples in the gaps between the bathroom and kitchen tiles of the flat in Delhi's Chhattarpur Pahari where the accused—Aftab Poonawalla—allegedly murdered her.
The police told a court on Tuesday they recovered a rough site plan, which could aid them in finding the remains of Walkar's body.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The police arrested Poonawalla on November 12 for murdering Walkar on May 18, chopping her body into 35 pieces, and clinically disposing of it over a period of 18-20 days in Delhi's Mehrauli forest after storing it in a fridge for days.
They met while working in Mumbai and later moved to Delhi earlier this year as her parents didn't approve of their relationship.
Information
Tests yet to ascertain if samples related to Walkar
The purported blood samples have been sent for forensic tests to ascertain if they belong to Walkar.
Although officers didn't reveal any details of the site plan they recovered, Poonawalla's counsel Abinash Kumar said it was of a pond in the Mehrauli forest.
Poonawalla roamed scot-free for around six months after the murder. He tried to erase all evidence by repeatedly cleaning the house.
Details
Poonawalla new to city, not familiar with locations: Lawyer
Kumar told the court that Poonawalla was new to Delhi and wasn't well-versed with the locations the police were taking him to retrieve the missing body parts.
Poonawalla said he chopped up the body in the flat's bathroom on May 19 and 20.
If the blood samples are linked to Walkar, it will help establish that she was murdered in that very flat.
Evidence
Police denied disclosing when the samples were found
Earlier, the police said they found bloodstains in the flat's kitchen and that the benzidine test didn't give out any other evidence relating to blood.
However, the police refused to disclose when the samples were recovered from the bathroom tiles.
The accused repeatedly cleaned the house using hypochlorous acid and similar strong chemicals.
The police recorded statements to prove Poonawalla used to assault Walkar.
Test
Accused's polygraph test conducted
The Delhi Police began the process of conducting a polygraph test on Poonawalla at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Rohini, Delhi, on Tuesday.
The police on Monday moved an application for his polygraph test after a Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Delhi's Saket permitted the police to conduct a narcoanalysis test on him.
The police said they found discrepancies in Poonawalla's statements, necessitating the test.
Claim
Happened in the heat of the moment: Accused to court
The Saket court on Tuesday extended Aftab Poonawalla's police custody for four more days.
During the hearing, Poonawalla claimed his actions weren't "deliberate."
His lawyer told the court, "Whatever happened...it was in the heat of the moment," and claimed his client had since "fully cooperated" with the police.
Earlier, the police claimed Poonawalla confessed to planning to kill Walkar a week before the incident.